PlayStation Universe
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A space agency simulator which overcomes its PC roots and primitive presentation to become a highly addictive and original strategy game. Packed with space facts and sprinklings of humour, Mars Horizon is a joy to dip into for both young and old and your thumbs can rest while your brain takes over.
Twin Mirror has one of Dontnod's most engrossing stories with a conclusion that reflects the moral ambiguity of living in a small community. However, this narrative and its characters are hurt by a frustrating Mind Palace gameplay mechanic that isn't utilised to its full potential until the end of the game. Twin Mirror has its strengths but the game staring back at you through the reflection of the screen isn't always reaching its full potential.
The Game Bakers have done a wonderful job creating a unique world and telling a love story that's believable and intriguing. I was fully invested in Kay and Yu and shaping their relationship. Though the game is all about the story, the game's turn-based combat is truly unique and demands your attention. What seals the deal is Havens's fantastic soundtrack providing some of the best electronic music I've heard in a while. For those looking for a different type of game, Haven is a great alternative for those looking for a great character-driven and emotional. experience.
Warframe is made better by its release on PS5. The gorgeous glittery visuals jump off the screen and improved loading times get you into the action faster than ever. With a wealth of content to discover, unlock and find, Warframe on PS5 is a title everyone should check out and what was once one of the best looter-shooters on PS4 is now one of the best on PS5.
With its weaponized cuteness and deceptively deep physics platforming shenanigans, PHOGS! succeeds grandly as a hugely entertaining effort which truly shines when played with a local friend. PHOGS! is absolutely one physics puzzler that you should take for walkies.
It's easy to say a game is amazing because you simply enjoy it. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition on the other hand backs up that statement by providing one of, if not the best JRPG titles of all time. With so much added content and quality of life improvements, it's mind-blowing to me that a game so intricately designed could be made any better. Square Enix proved that no matter how good something is, it can always be better.
Lair Of The Clockwork God is an excellent game that will take you on a hilarious journey solving puzzles with Dan and Ben, even if the journey is shorter than I would like and the jokes don't really read to anyone who isn't quite steeped within games culture.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a blast to play, no matter where you play it. Its PS4 shortcomings only lie with with graphic fidelity and loading times. Apart from that, Sackboy is back and better than ever on all fronts and generations.
Just Dance 2021 contains one of the best tracklists the franchise has ever had and makes meaningful improvements to the World Dance Floor and communicating players' performance to them while they dance. However, some childish maps and poor choreographies bring this tracklist down slightly. The core gameplay here is still good and I hope next year Ubisoft is able to fix some of the key issues this game clearly had being developed under COVID-19 restrictions.
Chronos: Before The Ashes brings to the Souls formula some interesting ideas that, if further explored, could expand on a beloved formula quite nicely. However, in its present form, these ideas contradict themselves, creating more of a red herring than a legitimate risk-reward system. Regardless, the game is fun to play, but the narrative and initially appealing age mechanic don't reach the end of the game with the same intensity.
With Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Ubisoft has created a refreshingly compact throwback open-world adventure that can be forgiven for its aggressive repurposing of other games best bits because it shapes them to fits its own style. The exploration is brisk and eventful, the puzzles are varied, with the right level of challenge and simplicity, and the approach to storytelling ultimately pays off. The DualSense features are a bit hit and miss, and it's not exactly the best advert for the power of PS5, but much like the game it cribs from, Immortals' qualities outshine any need for major technical showcases.
A sufficiently wacky and charismatic follow up experience to Enter The Gungeon and an enjoyable roguelite game. Regrettably, due to a number of flaws, it can't be appraised as the sequel fans would have hoped for. Exit The Gungeon probably won't win over any genre newcomers either. However, for existing fans longing for another crawl in the Gungeon, Exit The Gungeon just about does enough to be worth a look.
Spirit of the North Enhanced Edition may look great at 4K and run smoother at 60 FPS, but with no gameplay changes, barely any meaningful use of the DualSense, and a lack of gameplay improvements the indie-adventure doesn't offer much of a reason to play. This enhanced edition isn't bad by any means, but it just doesn't offer much of a reason to check it out for new or returning players, especially given the price increase.
While CSD3 retains the frenetic pace of its predecessor, there aren't enough new additions to make this an essential update. The huge library of recipes is mightily impressive and the presentation is as good as ever, so if you can handle the crushing difficulty, give your flabby fingers a work out in the back of this mobile food van.
A genuinely scary and intriguing horror portmanteau which overcomes the fiddly inventory system and slightly repetitive environs through its inventive interpretation of its film and game influences. If you're a horror fan who wants to find out how Konami's P.T. may have turned out, you'd be hard pushed to find a more terrifying surrogate.
Even after 16 years, there's nothing quite as absurdly wonderful as Katamari Damacy, and this remastered Reroll edition brings it to a whole new audience. Chock full of fun and silliness, blessed with a hypnotically soothing gameplay loop, and a soundtrack so joyously daffy it leaves you beaming ear-to-ear, Katamari Damacy deserves a successful PS4 Reroll.
Fortnite on PS5 is an improvement with a lovely 4K resolution and useful and accurate haptic feedback. Activity Cards help players get to the Battle Royale mode they want easily, jumping in quickly without wasting a moment. Adaptive Triggers disadvantage you in Battle Royale but are a nice addition in Save The World. Fortnite is still the same game, albeit with some nice quality of life changes on Sony's new console.
Though the breadth of the upgrades that the PS5 brings to WRC 9 is expected and somewhat unambitious to an extent, the truth is that developer Kylotonn has provided a delectable coat of polish to what is already considered to be one of the finest rally games in years. If you've got a PS5 and you want a rally racing sim to cut your teeth on, they don't come any better than WRC 9.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla on PS5 is the definitive version of Ubisoft's epic Viking title. With a sharper resolution, silky-smooth frame rate and a reduced number of bugs and glitches, Sony's new console offers a more seamless and enjoyable platform to experience this mammoth, engrossing open-world game on.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War takes you back to the past, not only in setting and theme, but in its gameplay style and more. It all feels so classic. Between multiplayer, Zombies, and the return of a proper (and surprisingly less-linear) campaign, there is plenty of value for the soldier in all of us.